Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-03-28

Voices singing III one OI Guc Cabiuos
and the men told me it was Miss
Mary's class. Some good woman
has been at work, l suspect
"Miss Mary ?"-the squire's face
grew red, his eyes flashed, but he
said nothing more.
Going home he met Polly coming
to meet him. He looked at her with
the eye of judge. care you the
Good Samaritan?' Have you been
in Black Lane, my dear?'
She blushed, laughed and stammer-
ed.
'sOh, that was the most natural
thing in the world, father. You
know l was brought up among color
ed people, know how to manage
them. 1t was only a ditch cut here
and there, a few panes of glass and
bushels of lime. They are good, af-
fectionate creatures, and so anxious
to learn"
The matter was driven out of the
squire's mind before he reached the
house, for he saw Tom skull ing
around the stable door. He had re-
turned that day, and dull weight of
misery fell on the fathers heart at
the sight. Tom did not enter the
house until late in the evening, when
the family was gathered about the
lawn. He came into the room with a
swagger, unshaven, his boots reeking
of the stable. Son purpose to morti-
fy u.s." thought Grace bitterly.
Il came to see Joe's fine lady wife. "
he said in loud voice. "Unless he's
ashamed to introduce his scapegrace
brother"
Mary is not here" said Mother
Demming. "Where is she, Grace =
"In Uncle Ben's room. She reads
the New York papers to him every
day now. They play backgammon
together, and they have one of those
silly books of Artemus Wards. l
heard him laughing and swearing
harder than ever,so he must be pleas
ed. l wonder she can stand it,
SIT is hard to understand her,
said Isaballa, dryly. Mary is not as
careful as she should be of her asso-
ciates.
Tom had been listening very ca
gerly. Enough said," he broke out
with a thump of his fist on the table.
''If Joe's wife can take thought of
that lonely old man up there, there's
better stuff in her than | expected.
I'll 90 up and make her acquaintance.
For several days afterward Toms
voice was heard joining in the jokes
and laughing that came out of Uncle
Ben's room.
"Mary seems to have enchanted
BOTH" said Grace. "Tom is clean
and shaved to-day, and looks like
human being
''Perhaps she treats him like hu-
man being" said Joe,
But even he was startled when
Mary came down that evening dress
ed for walk, and, nodding brightly
to Tom, asked him to go with her.
''Finish your book, Joe, Tom will be
my escort
Tom followed her slouching to the
gate.
He stopped there. Shame, def
ance, misery looked out of his eyes.
''See here, Mrs. Demming! l recAon
YOU shouldn't have asked me to go
with you! !''
Polly's tender, steady eyes met his.
''Yes, l know"
'D'ye know I'm thief? l was in
jail at Pittsburg for a year"
Polly drew her breath hard. A
prayer to God for help went up from
her heart in that second of time.
She held out both hands.
"Yes, Joe told me. But this is
all over now-all, all over. You
have begun new again, brother Tom,
Gomez"
She put her hand in his arm as
they walked down the street. He did
not speak to her until they came back.
Then he stopped her again at the
gate. "My sisters have never been
seen with me in public since | came
back. I'll never forget this of you,
Mary, never"
A month later the squire said to
his wife, "Did you know Mary was
going over his mathematics with
Tom Regularly coaching him. This
little girl has the clearest head for
figuring | ever knew. But what can
be her object?''
Mrs. Demming cleared her voice
before she could speak. "She has
applied to some of her friends in
Kentucky for situation for Tom.
Father, | think there will be a chance
for the boy. He wants to begin his
life all over again among strangers.
"God help him. muttered the
squire. He surprised Polly when he
met her the next time by taking her
IN his arms and kissing her with
tears in his eyes.
In the spring Tom went to Ken
lucky and began his new life. He
aas not broken down in it.
1t was in the spring, too, that Tn
cle Ben began to fail. The old man
was so fond of Polly that she gave
zip most Of her time To him so much